There’s one word I keep coming back to lately.
Intentional.
It’s showing up in my own planning, in my conversations, and in the way I’m thinking about where my time and energy are going.
Being intentional has always come relatively naturally to me.
Anyone who knows of my love for the CliftonStrengths tool will not be surprised to hear that Focus and Discipline sit firmly in my top five. I’m a lifelong fan of to-do lists, both physical and mental, and there’s something deeply satisfying about ending the day with every item neatly crossed off.
Or at least, there used to be. Lately, I’ve noticed those lists slipping, and, horror of horrors, I’ve even had days where not everything was ticked off.
So I decided to do a quick self-audit.
(And yes, I promise I’m much more fun in real life than this newsletter might suggest!)
What I discovered was how much time had been disappearing into activities I hadn’t consciously chosen. Small distractions, mindless habits, and things that felt productive in the moment but weren’t actually moving anything meaningful forward.
That was a timely reminder that there is a big difference between being busy and being intentional.
Checking Instagram to see what friends are up to? Intentional.
Falling into a rabbit hole of endless AI-generated dog videos? Less intentional.
And while those videos are admittedly very entertaining, they’re probably not the highest and best use of my time.
So this month, I’m recommitting to being more intentional about where my attention goes.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Returning to a more consistent newsletter rhythm (my goal is one each week).
- Building AI-powered systems to automate tasks I’m still doing manually.
- Reducing the number of Coco and Kevin videos I send to our family Instagram group. (Trying anyway!)
Intentionality is one of the most underrated leadership skills.
If you don’t consciously decide what deserves your time, your inbox, notifications, and endless distractions will decide for you.
So my question for you is:
What are you choosing to be intentional about this month?
I’d love to hear what you’re focusing on.
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